K-pop girl group Lisenné nearly hit by 'butsukari' shoulder-bump in Tokyo's Shibuya

Members of girl group Lisenné narrowly avoided what appeared to be a deliberate "butsukari" shoulder-bump while visiting Shibuya in Tokyo.

A video posted June 19 to the YouTube channel "Hello. This is Woni. Nice to meet you." showed Lisenné members Woni and Minami at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, where they had gone to film content.

The Shibuya Scramble Crossing, one of Japan's most iconic landmarks, is famous for the hundreds of pedestrians and tourists who cross simultaneously when the walk signal turns green.

In the video, Woni and Minami, dressed in gyaru fashion as part of a local culture experience segment, had just finished filming a para para dance and were greeting fans as they began crossing the intersection.

At that moment, a young Japanese man suddenly changed direction and moved quickly toward Minami, abruptly twisting his body as if to collide with her. Minami noticed in time and stepped aside, avoiding a collision. She could not hide her startled expression.

The man then glanced briefly at the group as he continued across the intersection before quickly walking away.

As the video spread online, allegations emerged that the man had approached Minami deliberately in what appeared to be a "butsukari" attempt.

Known in Korean as "eokkae ppang," butsukari refers to the act of intentionally bumping into a passerby with one's body or belongings. Women and children — those perceived as physically weaker — are typically the targets.

JTBC's Sageon Banjang, a TV crime news program, also covered the incident in its June 22 broadcast, calling it the "Lisenné Shibuya shoulder-bump controversy."

The program said Lisenné members nearly had an unpleasant experience during filming in Japan, describing how a man appeared to strike toward a member while they were dancing at the Shibuya crossing and noting that debate had continued over whether the act was intentional or accidental.

The program added that there was no reason for a man walking with his girlfriend to suddenly change direction on his own, calling it a deliberate act. It said footage captured the man looking back at Lisenné immediately after the failed attempt, and that the incident had drawn significant discussion in Japan as well. "It is clearly intentional," the program said.